Shafie (seated middle) addressing the media. On the right is Dato Haji Jaujan Sambakong and left is Datuk Peter Anthony.

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has stressed that holding both the Chief Minister and Finance Minister positions will not result in a conflict of interest.

“If you don’t have any interest in my position, why would you question…It does not mean if I sit as the Chief Minister, there would be a conflict of interest.

“What sort of interest do I have in mind? Don’t say that it’s similar with those guys previously (the former ministers). I am not going to do (follow) what has been done (by the former ministers) before,” the Parti Warisan Sabah president said during a press conference on Wednesday, held shortly after the swearing in of the new cabinet ministers.

“I am just going to lead the economy as an economist. I want to make sure that the financial putting of the state is on the right track,” Shafie said, adding that he would want the state economy to be vibrant and investor-friendly.
Shafie will also look into the setting up a Council of Elders, similar to the one for the federal Ministry of Finance.

A total of ten ministers and 18 assistant ministers were sworn in on Wednesday.

Shafie highlighted the appointment of Parti Keadlian Rakyat (PKR) chairperson Christina Liew as one of the Deputy Chief Ministers of the state.

“For the first time (in a while), we have appointed a female Deputy Chief Minister. It has been a long time, since we appointed one. The last time was during the PBS time,” he said.

Commenting on the absence of a Women’s Affairs Ministry, Shafie said that the role of women does not only confine in the context of ministries as he believes that women can conduct roles in different manners as well.

On the absence of Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking in the state cabinet, Shafie has revealed that the former has been keen on being a part of the federal cabinet instead.

He believes that Leiking would be getting a full ministerial position, subject to the prerogative of the Prime Minister.

He added that some of the other Warisan members of parliament will also be considered for federal cabinet positions. In addition, he would also like to see some of the DAP Sabah MPs to be given roles in the federal cabinet.